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The Best Breakfast Casserole is a thick and creamy egg base with shredded potatoes, chunks of ham, and flavorful cheese blends that bake up in no time. Make this to enjoy Christmas morning or brunch.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: This is so easy to throw together. It only takes about 5 minutes to get everything together. The hard part is waiting for it to be done cooking!
- Make Ahead: Make this ahead of time, and when ready to bake, simply take it out of the refrigerator and bake.
- Family Favorite: Your family will love this easy breakfast casserole this holiday season. I have our traditional Sticky buns on the menu for Christmas along with this amazing casserole.
What you need to make a Breakfast Dish
This breakfast is perfect any time of the year but great for Christmas! All the simple ingredients come together quickly. Try it out for yourself! You will agree that it is amazing! Exact measurements are at the bottom of the post.
- Shredded potatoes: You can use frozen ones, and they do not need to be thawed.
- Salt and pepper: To taste!
- Eggs: Used to bind everything together.
- Half and half: Adds creamy texture and thickness.
- Season salt: The secret ingredient that adds all of the right flavors.
- Cheddar & Pepper Jack Cheese: Gives the melty cheesy top and complements the ham.
- Ham: Gives a hearty, meaty flavor and texture.
How to Make a Breakfast Casserole
This breakfast casserole is the BEST for so many reasons. One of which, is how simple this breakfast casserole recipe comes together and is in the oven in minutes. This tried and true breakfast casserole is so simple, and everyone loves the flavor.
- Prepare pan and add ingredients: Grease a 9×13 inch pan. Add the frozen and shredded potatoes to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Whisk eggs: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together.
- Add remaining ingredients: Then add half and half, season salt, cheddar cheese, pepper jack, and chopped ham.
- Pour into pan and refrigerate: Pour over the top of the frozen potatoes, then cover with foil and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Bake your breakfast casserole: Bake covered in foil at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
What to Serve with a Delicious Breakfast Casserole
This casserole can stand alone, but if you are looking for a more complete meal, add some tasty side. Here are some ideas of what will go well with this breakfast casserole during the holiday season.
- Fruit: Christmas Fruit Salad or The Best Winter Fruit Salad
- Bread: Buttermilk Biscuits
- Potatoes: Skillet Potatoes with Peppers or Baked Parmesan Hash browns Recipe
- Meat: Bacon, sausage or ham from my Classic Honey Glazed Ham recipe.
- French Toast: Secret Ingredient French Toast Recipe or Creme Brûlée French Toast
- Pancakes: The Best Buttermilk Pancakes or Best Ever German Oven Pancake
- Muffins: Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins or Fruit Explosion Muffins
Mix It Up!
Try some of these fun variations in this breakfast casserole and find what you enjoy best!
- Vegetables: Add in some veggies like bell peppers, spinach or kale, tomato (fresh or canned), broccoli, mushrooms, or onions are great.
- Meat: You can use bacon, variations of sausage, shredded chicken, ground beef, or leftover turkey.
- Cream: I’m not a fan of half and half; you can use whipping cream for a thicker, richer breakfast or simply use milk you have on hand.
- Cheese: Switch up which cheese you use. Try swiss cheese, Colby jack, or mozzarella which all work well and melt perfectly when baked.
- Spicy: By adding red pepper flakes, green chilies, or green onions, is a fun way to add a little heat.
- Potatoes: Diced or flavorful frozen potatoes will work great in place of shredded potatoes.
Tips for Making the Perfect Breakfast Casserole
Here are some tips for making this breakfast casserole even better and easier on you. This recipe is fun to make with different variations, make ahead, or even make it the morning of. There are so many great things that make this casserole the BEST! These tips will help you better understand how to bake this breakfast for you to enjoy with your family.
- Covering or Not Covering: This is an option. I recommend not covering the baking dish, so the topping can get that nice crisp edge. If you prefer to cook it covered be sure to uncover the last 10 to 15 minutes.
- Keep your potatoes frozen: There is no need to thaw the potatoes, because they will cook frozen.
- How to know when breakfast is done: Once the outside edges become golden brown and the egg mixture in the middle is firm (check by rocking the pan). Use a toothpick or knife to check if it is completely cooked through. You can also use a thermometer to see if the breakfast casserole has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Drain grease: If you use any other meat in the breakfast casserole, drain the meat before adding it to the dish.
- Gluten-free: Make this gluten-free by following this breakfast recipe. Check your labels on other ingredients to make sure.
Storing Breakfast Casserole
There are so many options and plans for this breakfast casserole to make your holiday mornings even easier and better.
- Reheat: To reheat the breakfast casserole, add it to the microwave or cover it in the oven. Check it occasionally until it has been warmed through.
- Make Ahead: Simply follow the instructions until you are ready to bake. Cover it with aluminum foil or a lid and place it in your refrigerator. When you are ready to bake, simply take it out of the refrigerator and bake it according to the instructions. This can sit in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Can you freeze a casserole? Yes, this is perfect for freezing. Make and bake your breakfast casserole. Once it has completely cooled down, place it in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Lay flat in your freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to warm up, place on a baking sheet and bake until warmed through about 50 min.
More Breakfast Casserole Ideas
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The Best Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 24 ounces frozen shredded potatoes
- salt and pepper
- 12 eggs
- 2 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon season salt
- 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated
- 1 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese grated
- 2 cup chopped ham Or your preferred meat, sausage would also be great
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13 inch pan. Add the frozen and shredded potatoes to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together. Then add half and half, season salt, cheddar cheese, pepper jack, and chopped ham.
- Pour over the top of the frozen potatoes. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Don’t the frozen hash browns make the recipe watery? Wondering if I should cook frozen potatoes first and then layer. Thank you.
No, using the hashbrowns frozen won’t make it watery! No need to cook them beforehand!
hi,
do you need to do anything with the broccoli ~ does it need to be cooked first? or can you use frozen broccoli like in the bags that you microwave.
Hello! This recipe doesn’t use broccoli. Were you thinking of a different one perhaps?
I found that 90 minutes was way too long for cook time. 60 minutes was even a little too much. Luckily I checked it after an hour. Everyone loved it!
Do you have a favorite French Toast Recipe?
Yes! Try this one: Secret Ingredient French Toast Recipe
OMG yes! I’ve been looking for a good breakfast casserole recipe to mix it up and the mornings and have loved this every time I have made it so far. I am a huge fan of spice, so I add some of my garden jalapenos diced up and it adds that extra kick I look for, lol. Thanks for the tasty recipe Alyssa.
Thank you!! This is a favorite in our house for sure. The added jalapenos are a great idea!
Could I add red and green peppers to this?
Yes! That sounds delicious!
I prefer using hash brown cubes and not the shredded. For me it was just too much. I always cook up 1 onion and 1 green pepper to add to the potatoes. Seasoning includes, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
I am needing to make ahead for a camp. Could this be cooked, frozen, then reheated?
Yes, this is perfect for freezing. Make and bake your breakfast casserole. Once it has completely cooled down, place in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Lay flat in your freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to warm up, place on baking sheet frozen and bake until warmed through about 20 to 25 minutes.
Do you think that the Costco dehydrated hashbrowns would work for this?
I haven’t tried that but I would think they would work after you have hydrated them. That’s a great idea!
I’ve been using this for a while now and I love it but I want to say that in the upper part of this it says bake covered and then the real recipe says bake uncovered…
Thanks for a very delicious sounding, pretty casserole recipe! I haven’t made it yet ,but like you , I’ve made many breakfast casseroles in the past. My comment/question is I’ve tried frozen shredded hash browns in past casserole recipes with disappointing results. The potatoes ended up soggy, tasteless and colorless in the finished casserole. Is there anyway to prepare the hash browns (seasoning and developing color & texture) before building the recipe? Many thanks!
I haven’t tried that with this casserole so I’m not sure! Using frozen hashbrowns has worked great in this recipe!
I’m going to try this recipe out on Mother’s Day but from past experience with other recipes I recommend using the simply potatoes hash browns. They come in shredded or southern style hash browns and when I buy them they are in the fridge section not freezer so that would help eliminate the excess moisture. Me personally, I prefer the southern style to give it more flavor and a little kick.
Thx for the recipe. I am trying this. If I use sausage shall I cook it first before I layer it in w other ingredients? Thx. Jeanne I
Yes! I would cook it first!
Thx so much. I decided to use half turkey and half ham in the egg casserole. I added some spinach , onion , red peppers and cooked mushrooms . Excited to try it. Thx for all your replies . I Love cooking !!
CAN YOU MAKE IT RIGHT AWAY AND OMIT PUTTING IN THE REFRIGE OVERNIGHT OR 2 HOURS ?
It is best to refrigerate it so that the egg mixture can soak it. It’s not mandatory but helps for a richer taste and softer potatoes!
Made this today – excellent recipe! Everyone loved it!
I’m so happy to hear that! It’s a favorite of mine for sure!
Really delicious recipe. I love it yummy!!! It’s really awesome
I did half the recipe in a smaller casserole dish, does it cook for the same time?
I would reduce the cook time by about 5 minutes and then check it frequently.